This invention relates to a device that can be placed on a switch and locked to prevent the switch from being turned on. In particular, it relates to a device that has means for clasping the lever arm of a switch, where the clasping means are rendered inaccessible when the shackle of a lock is passed through the device.
In January of 1990 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Lock-Out Rule (29 CFR 1910.147) went into effect. This rule requires that all energy sources be locked out before any work is done on an electrical circuit. The purpose of the rule is to prevent someone from turning on a circuit while work is being performed on that circuit.
At the present time circuits can be locked out by locking the entire circuit box. However, this is not satisfactory because circuit breakers that control circuits that are not being worked on are inaccessible and can not be reset. Various devices are available for locking out individual circuit breakers but these devices are not entirely satisfactory because they lack the strength to resist tampering, they can be applied to only the breakers of a specific manufacturer, they cannot be locked with a multiple lock out, or they cannot be applied so that several circuit breakers can be locked out at the same time.